Methods and apparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or using delay information

ABSTRACT

Methods and apparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or using delay information and described. A wireless terminal determines delay information corresponding to queued information that it intends to transmits. The delay information includes a minimum time to a transmission deadline indicating a minimum amount of time remaining before information will be discarded if not transmitted. The determined delay information is communicated to a base station in a control information report. Alternatives formats for the control information report are possible including a report type conveying only delay information and a report type conveying delay information and queue backlog count information jointly coded. A base station uses received delay information received from one or more wireless terminals to efficiently schedule uplink traffic channel segments.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/752,973, filed on Dec. 22, 2005, titled“COMMUNICATIONS METHODS AND APPARATUS”, and U.S. patent applicationsSer. No. 11/333,792, filed on Jan. 17, 2006, titled “METHODS ANDAPPARATUS OF IMPLEMENTING AND/OR USING A DEDICATED CONTROL CHANNEL”,each of which is hereby expressly incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to wireless communications methods andapparatus and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus related todetermining, communicating, and/or using delay information.

BACKGROUND

In a multiple access wireless communications system in which a basestation schedules air link resources to wireless terminals competing forthose resources, different wireless terminals, at different times mayhave different needs. A wireless terminal's resource needs may vary as afunction of: types of applications, quality of service requirements,queued backlog, time data/information to be transmitted by the wirelessterminal has been waiting in a queue, and/or data/information latencyrequirements. Control information about a wireless terminal reported toa base station by the wireless allows a base station's scheduler tocharacterize the wireless terminal's needs and weight the wirelessterminal's needs against those of other wireless terminal's competingfor the air link resources, e.g., competing for uplink traffic channelsegments. Typically, some data/information waiting to be transmitted bya wireless terminal is delay-sensitive data/information, e.g., voicetraffic, gaming traffic, etc. It would be beneficial if methods andapparatus provided for determining, reporting, communicating, and/orusing delay information. A base station receiving delay sensitiveinformation, e.g., delay sensitive information associated with uplinktransmission backlog, could benefit from such knowledge in performingscheduling. More efficient scheduling methods and apparatus can lead tobetter a quality of service for users, higher user satisfaction and/orhigher overall throughput.

SUMMARY

Various embodiments are directed to wireless communications methods andapparatus related to determining, communicating, and/or using delayinformation. For example, delay information may corresponding to uplinktraffic waiting to be transmitted in a wireless terminal; the delayinformation is determined by a wireless terminal and communicated to abase station, where the received delay information is used to moreefficiently schedule air link resources, e.g., uplink traffic channelsegments.

Various embodiments are directed to a method of operating a wirelessterminal including determining delay information corresponding to datato be transmitted, said delay information including at least a minimumdelay to a transmission deadline; and communicating at least some ofsaid determined delay information to a base station.

In some such embodiments, the minimum delay to a transmission deadlineis a first minimum delay to a first transmission deadline, said firstminimum delay corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wirelessterminal that has been waiting in a first transmission queue.

Some embodiments are directed to apparatus such as a wireless terminal,e.g., mobile node, including: a transmission delay determination modulefor determining delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted, said delay information including at least a minimum delayto a transmission deadline; and a wireless transmitter module fortransmitting at least some delay information determined by said delaydetermination module.

In some embodiments determined delay information corresponding to queueduplink traffic is communicated in uplink control information reports.Some types of control information reports have a format such as tocommunicate delay information exclusively. Other types of controlinformation reports are formatted to convey queue backlog countinformation. and corresponding delay information, e.g., jointly coded.Some embodiments, implement a plurality of different possible reportdictionaries facilitating alternative reporting scenarios forcommunicating delay information.

While various embodiments have been discussed in the summary above, itshould be appreciated that not necessarily all embodiments include thesame features and some of the features described above are not necessarybut can be desirable in some embodiments. Numerous additional features,embodiments and benefits of the present invention are discussed in thedetailed description which follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is drawing of an exemplary wireless communications systemimplemented in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobilenode, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of another exemplary wireless terminal, e.g., mobilenode, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of an exemplary base station in accordance withvarious embodiments.

FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating awireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a flowchart of another exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 9 comprising the combination of FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C is adrawing of a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a basestation in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a drawing of exemplary uplink dedicated control channel(DCCH) segments in an exemplary uplink timing and frequency structure inan exemplary orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) multipleaccess wireless communications system.

FIG. 11 is a table listing exemplary dedicated control reports that maybe communicated using the dedicated control channel segments of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a drawing illustrating an exemplary reporting formatinformation in an exemplary recurring time interval for a givendedicated control channel tone, e.g., corresponding to a wirelessterminal.

FIG. 13 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary format ofexemplary 4 bit delay report

FIG. 14 is a drawing of a table describing another exemplary format ofexemplary 4 bit delay report

FIG. 15 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary flexible reportin which a wireless terminal has the opportunity to select tocommunicate a delay information report.

FIG. 16 is a drawing of a table illustrating exemplary control factordetermination as a function of previously reported control information,the control factors being used in interpreting request reports.

FIG. 17 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to an exemplary Request DictionaryA.

FIG. 18 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to the exemplary Request DictionaryA.

FIG. 19 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to an exemplary Request DictionaryB.

FIG. 20 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to the exemplary Request DictionaryB.

FIG. 21 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to an exemplary Request DictionaryC.

FIG. 22 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to the exemplary Request DictionaryC.

FIG. 23 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 1 bit uplinkrequest report format.

FIG. 24 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to an exemplary Request Dictionarywith reference number 0.

FIG. 25 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to the exemplary Request Dictionarywith reference number 0.

FIG. 26 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 4 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to an exemplary Request Dictionarywith reference number 1.

FIG. 27 is a drawing of a table describing an exemplary 3 bit uplinkrequest report format corresponding to the exemplary Request Dictionarywith reference number 1.

FIG. 28 is a drawing of another exemplary wireless terminal, e.g.,mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments.

FIG. 29 is a drawing of another exemplary base station in accordancewith various embodiments.

FIG. 30 comprising the combination of FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B is a drawingof a flowchart of an exemplary method of operating a base station inaccordance with various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is drawing of an exemplary wireless communications system 100implemented in accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary wirelesscommunications system 100 is, e.g., an orthogonal frequency divisionmultiple (OFDM) multiple access wireless communications system.

Exemplary wireless communications system 100 includes a plurality ofbase stations (base station 1 102, . . . , base station M 104). Eachbase station (102, 104) has a corresponding wireless coverage area (cell1 106, cell M 108), respectively. System 100 also includes network node118 which is coupled to base stations (102, 104) via network links (120,122), respectively. Network node 118 is also coupled to other networknodes and/or the Internet via link 124. Network links (120, 122, 124)are, e.g., fiber optic links. System 100 may also include cells withmultiple sectors and/or cells using multiple carriers.

System 100 also includes a plurality of wireless terminals. At leastsome of the wireless terminals are mobile nodes which may movethroughout the communication system. In FIG. 1, wireless terminals (WT 1110, WT N 112) are located in cell 1 106 and coupled to base station 1102 via wireless links (126, 128), respectively. In FIG. 1, wirelessterminals (WT 1′ 114, WT N′ 116) are located in cell M 108 and coupledto base station M 104 via wireless links (130, 132), respectively. Inaccordance with various embodiments, at least some of the wirelessterminals communicate delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted to a base station. In accordance with various embodiments, abase station performs scheduling of uplink air ink resources, e.g.,uplink traffic channel segments, as a function of received delayinformation from wireless terminals.

FIG. 2 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 200 e.g., mobilenode, in accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary wirelessterminal 200 may be any of the exemplary wireless terminals (110, 112,114, 116) of system 100 of FIG. 1.

Wireless terminal 200 includes a receiver module 202, a transmittermodule 204, a processor 206, user I/O devices 208, and a memory 210coupled together via a bus 212 over which the various elementsinterchange data and information. Memory 210 includes routines 214 anddata/information 216. The processor 206, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines 214 and uses the data/information 216 in memory 210 to controlthe operation of the wireless terminal 200 and implement methods.

Receiver module 202, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna 203 via which the wireless terminal 200 receives downlinksignals. Downlink signals include assignment signals includingassignments of uplink communications resources e.g., assignments ofuplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module 204, e.g., an OFDMtransmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna 205, via which the wirelessterminal 200 transmits uplink signals to a base station. Uplink signalsinclude e.g., control information reports including delay informationreports, backlog information reports, and/or joint delay/backloginformation reports. Uplink signals also include uplink traffic channelsegment signals conveying packets of information from transmissionqueues. Transmitter module 204 transmits at least some delay informationdetermined by transmission delay determination module 218. In someembodiments, transmitter module 204 transmits first and second maximumqueuing delays corresponding to first and second transmission queues toa base station. In some embodiments, the same antenna is used forreceiver and transmitter.

User I/O devices 208, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard, mouse,switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allow a user of wirelessterminal 200 to input data/information and to access outputdata/information. User I/O devices 208 also allow a user of wirelessterminal 200 to control at least some functions of the wirelessterminal.

Routines 214 include a transmission delay determination module 218, aqueue management module 220, a transmission control module 222, abacklog information generation module 224, and a coding module 226.Transmission delay determination module 218 determines delay informationcorresponding to data to be transmitted. Queue management module 220manages one or more transmission queues. Operations of queue managementmodule 220 include dropping data, e.g., a packet, from a transmissionqueue if a queuing delay associated with the data, e.g., the packet,exceeds maximum threshold associated with the data, e.g., a stalenessthreshold. Transmission control module 222 controls the transmittermodule 204 to transmit maximum queuing delay information. In someembodiments, the transmission control module 222 controls thetransmitter 204 to transmit a first maximum queuing delay morefrequently than a second maximum queuing delay, e.g., maximum queuingdelay 246 corresponding to transmission queue 1 228 is controlled to betransmitted more frequently than maximum queuing delay 250 correspondingto transmission queue N 230.

Backlog information generation module 224 generates informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted, e.g., queue 1backlog count information 248. Backlog information generation module 224also uses queue backlog count information, e.g., queue 1 backlog countinformation 248, to generate a backlog report corresponding to backlogreport information 262. Coding module 226 performs coding operationsincluding jointly coding backlog information, e.g., frame counts of datato be transmitted, and delay information. For example, coding module 226jointly codes 1^(st) maximum queuing delay 246 and queue 1 backlog countinformation 248 into an uplink control information report correspondingto report information 264.

Data/information 216 includes one or more transmission queues(transmission queue 1 228, . . . , transmission queue N 230), queuestatistics 232, information identifying packet(s) to be dropped 254,delay transmission rate information 256, information associating queueswith types of traffic flows 258, delay report information 260, backlogreport information 262, report information including jointly coded delayand backlog information 264, channel structure information 266 andcontrol reports' format information 268.

The transmission queues (228, 230) store data to be transmitted by thewireless terminal. Transmission queue 1 228 includes a plurality ofpackets (packet 1 info 234, . . . , packet n info 236). Transmissionqueue N 230 includes a plurality of packets (packet 1 info 238, . . . ,packet m info 240). Queue statistics 232 includes one or more sets ofdetermined delay information for a corresponding transmission queue(determined delay information for transmission queue 1 242, . . . ,determined delay information for transmission queue N 244). Determineddelay information for transmission queue 1 242 includes a 1^(st) maximumqueuing delay 246 and transmission queue 1 backlog count information248, e.g., frame counts of backlog for transmission queue 1. Determineddelay information for transmission queue N 242 includes a Nth maximumqueuing delay 250 and transmission queue N backlog count information252, e.g., frame counts of backlog for transmission queue N.

1^(st) maximum queuing delay 246 indicates a maximum amount of time apacket in the first transmission queue 228 has been waiting to betransmitted by the wireless terminal 200. Similarly, N^(th) maximumqueuing delay 250 indicates a maximum amount of time a packet in the Nthtransmission queue 230 has been waiting to be transmitted by thewireless terminal 200. Queue 1 backlog information 248 indicates anamount of backlog corresponding to transmission queue 1 228, e.g., anumber of frames, e.g., number of MAC frames, of backlog. Queue Nbacklog information 252 indicates and amount of backlog corresponding totransmission queue N 230, e.g., a number of frames, e.g., number of MACframes, of backlog.

In some embodiments, at least some different transmission queuescorrespond to different traffic flows. Information 258 associates queueswith types of traffic. For example, in one exemplary embodiment,transmission queue 1 228 is associated with a voice traffic flow andtransmission queue N 230 is associated with a non-voice traffic flow,e.g., a gaming or other interactive traffic flow.

Information identifying a packet to be dropped 254 is an output of queuemanagement module 220 and is used to update a transmission queue, e.g.,management module 220 updates transmission queue 1 228 based oninformation 254. Delay transmission rate information 256, e.g.,scheduling information corresponding to communicating delay informationcontrol reports and/or backlog reports including delay information, isused by transmission control module 222 to control the communication ofdelay information corresponding to different queues. Delay reportinformation 260 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wirelessterminal 200 generated delay information report, e.g., in a dedicatedcontrol channel reporting structure. Backlog report information 262 is,e.g., information corresponding to a wireless terminal 200 generatedbacklog report, e.g., in a dedicated control channel reportingstructure. Report information including jointly coded delay and backloginformation 264, e.g., an output of coding module 226, represents acontrol information report conveying both delay information and backloginformation, e.g., in a dedicated control channel reporting structure.

Channel structure information 266 includes, e.g., uplink dedicatedcontrol channel structure information identifying locations in arecurring structure for communicating delay information and/or backloginformation. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include exemplary information that maybe included as part of channel control structure information. Controlreports' format information 268 include bit mapping definitioninformation corresponding to control information reports including delayinformation reports, backlog information reports, and combinationdelay/backlog reports. FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,25, 26 and 27 provide some exemplary reporting formats. For example,FIG. 13 describes the format of a report communicating maximum delayinformation. Numerous variations of reporting formats are possible andmay be used in various embodiments. For example, a particular reportingformat may, and in some embodiments does, convey maximum delayinformation instead of minimum delay to a transmission deadline. Someformats may convey delay and/or backlog information associated withdifferent designated transmission queues, request groups or transmissionstreams, e.g., frame count information (N[1], N[2], N[3], N[4]) and/ordelay information (Delay[1], Delay[2], Delay[3], Delay[4]), associatedwith transmission queues, request groups or transmission streams (1, 2,3, 4), respectively. Some embodiments alternate reporting to conveyinformation about different transmission queues, request groups ortransmission streams, e.g., following a predetermined pattern. Someformats convey information identifying the associated transmissionqueues, request groups or transmission streams to which the delayinformation and/or backlog information corresponds. Some formats supportthe opportunity to report about different transmission queues, requestgroups or transmission streams in the same report slot. Some formats mayconvey aggregate delay and/or backlog information for the wirelessterminal.

FIG. 3 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 300, e.g., mobilenode, in accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary wirelessterminal 300 may be any of the exemplary wireless terminals (110, 112,114, 116) of system 100 of FIG. 1.

Wireless terminal 300 includes a receiver module 302, a transmittermodule 304, a processor 306, user I/O devices 308, and a memory 310coupled together via a bus 312 over which the various elementsinterchange data and information. Memory 310 includes routines 314 anddata/information 316. The processor 306, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines 314 and uses the data/information 316 in memory 310 to connectthe operation of the wireless terminal 300 and implement methods.

Receiver module 302, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna 303 via which the wireless terminal 300 receives downlinksignals. Downlink signals include assignment signals includingassignments of uplink communications resources, e.g., assignment ofuplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module 304, e.g., an OFDMtransmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna 305, via which the wirelessterminal 300 transmits uplink signals to a base station. Uplink signalsinclude, e.g., control information reports including delay informationreports, backlog information reports, and/or joint delay/backloginformation reports. Uplink signals also include uplink traffic channelsegment signals conveying packets of information from transmissionqueues. Transmitter module 304 transmits at least some delay informationdetermined by transmission delay determination module 318. In someembodiments, transmitter module 304 transmits first and second minimumdelays to transmission deadline corresponding to first and secondtransmission queues to a base station. In some embodiments, the sameantenna is used for receiver and transmitters.

User I/O devices 308, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard, mouse,switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allows a user of wirelessterminal 300 to input data/information and to access outputdata/information. User I/O devices 308 also allow a user of wirelessterminal 300 to control at least some functions of the wirelessterminal.

Routines 314 include a transmission delay determination module 318, aqueue management module 320, a transmission control module 322, abacklog information generation module 324, and a coding module 326.Transmission delay determination module 318 determines delay informationcorresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay informationincluding at least a minimum delay to transmission deadline. Queuemanagement module 320 manages the one or more transmission queues.Operations of queue management module 320 include dropping data, e.g., apacket, from a first transmission queue if no data is transmitted fromthe first transmission queue by the transmission deadline. Transmissioncontrol module 322 controls the transmitter module 304 to transmitminimum delay to transmission deadline information. In some embodiments,the transmission control module 322 controls the transmitter 304 totransmit a first minimum delay to transmission deadline more frequentlythan a second minimum delay to transmission deadline, e.g., minimumdelay to transmission deadline 346 corresponding to transmission queue 1328 is controlled to be transmitted more frequently than minimum delayto transmission deadline 350 corresponding to transmission queue N 330.

Backlog information generation module 324 generates informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted e.g., queue 1backlog count information 348. Backlog information generation module 324also uses queue backlog count information, e.g., queue 1 backlog countinformation 348, to generate a backlog report corresponding to backlogreport information 362. Coding module 326 performs coding operationsincluding jointly coding backlog information, e.g., frame counts of datato be transmitted, and delay information. For example, coding module 326jointly codes 1^(st) minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 andqueue 1 backlog count information 348 into an uplink control informationreport corresponding to report information 364.

Data/information 316 includes one or more transmission queues(transmission queue 1 328, . . . , transmission queue N 330), queuestatistics 332, information identifying packet(s) to be dropped 354,delay transmission rate information 356, information associating queueswith types of traffic flows 358, delay report information 360, backlogreport information 362, report information including jointly coded delayand backlog information 364, channel structure information 366 andcontrol reports' format information 368.

The transmission queues (328, 33) store data to be transmitted by thewireless terminal. Transmission queue 1 328 includes a plurality ofpackets (packet 1 info 334, . . . , packet n info 336). Transmissionqueue N 330 includes a plurality of packets (packet 1 info 338, . . . ,packet m info 340). Queue statistics 332 includes one or more sets ofdetermined delay information for a corresponding transmission queue(determined delay information for transmission queue 1 342, . . . ,determined delay information for transmission queue N 344). Determineddelay information for transmission queue 1 342 includes a 1^(st) minimumdelay to transmission deadline 346 and transmission queue 1 backlogcount information 348, e.g., frame counts of backlog for transmissionqueue 1. Determined delay information for transmission queue N 342includes a Nth minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 andtransmission queue N backlog count information 352, e.g., frame countsof backlog for transmission queue N.

1^(st) minimum delay to transmission deadline 346 is a first minimumdelay to a first data, e.g., packet, transmission deadline, said firstminimum delay corresponding to data to be transmitted by the wirelessterminal that has been waiting in the first transmission queue 328.Similarly, N^(th) minimum delay to transmission deadline 350 is a Nthminimum delay to an Nth data, e.g., packet, transmission deadline, saidNth minimum delay to a transmission deadline corresponding to data to betransmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in the Nthtransmission queue 330. Queue 1 backlog information 348 indicates andamount of backlog corresponding to transmission queue 1 328, e.g., anumber of frames, e.g., a number of MAC frames, of backlog. Queue Nbacklog information 352 indicates and amount of backlog corresponding totransmission queue N 330, e.g., a number of frames, e.g., a number ofMAC frames, of backlog.

In some embodiments, at least some different transmission queuescorrespond to different traffic flows. Information 358 associates queueswith types of traffic. For example, in one exemplary embodiment,transmission queue 1 328 is associated with a voice traffic flow andtransmission queue N 330 is associated with a non-voice traffic flow,e.g., a gaming or other interactive traffic flow.

Information identifying a packet to be dropped 354 is an output of queuemanagement module 320 and is used to update a transmission queue, e.g.,management module 320 updates transmission queue 1 328 based oninformation 354. Delay transmission rate information 356, e.g.,scheduling information corresponding to communicating delay informationcontrol reports and/or backlog reports including delay information isused by transmission control module 322 to control the communication ofdelay information corresponding to different queues. Delay reportinformation 360 is, e.g., information corresponding to a wirelessterminal 300 generated delay information report, e.g., in a dedicatedcontrol channel reporting structure. Backlog report information 360 is,e.g., information corresponding to a wireless terminal 300 generatedbacklog report, e.g., in a dedicated control channel reportingstructure. Report information including jointly coded delay and backloginformation 364, e.g., an output of coding module 326, represents acontrol information report conveying both delay information and backloginformation, e.g., in a dedicated control channel reporting structure.

Channel structure information 366 includes, e.g., uplink dedicatedcontrol channel structure information identifying locations in arecurring structure for communicating delay information and/or backloginformation. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include exemplary information that maybe included as part of channel control structure information. Controlreports' format information 368 include bit mapping definitioninformation corresponding to control information reports including delayinformation reports, backlog information reports, and combinationdelay/backlog reports. FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,25, 26 and 27 provide some exemplary reporting formats. For example,FIG. 14 describes the format of a report communicating minimum delay totransmission deadline information. Numerous variations of reportingformats are possible and may be used in various embodiments. Forexample, a particular reporting format may, and in some embodimentsdoes, convey minimum delay to a transmission deadline informationinstead of a maximum queuing delay. Some formats may convey delay and/orbacklog information associated with different designated transmissionqueues, request groups or transmission streams, e.g., frame countinformation (N[1], N[2], N[3], N[4]) and/or delay information (Delay[1],Delay[2], Delay[3], Delay[4]), associated with transmission queues,request groups or transmission streams (1, 2, 3, 4), respectively. Someembodiments alternate reporting to convey information about differenttransmission queues, request groups or transmission streams, e.g.,following a predetermined pattern. Some formats convey informationidentifying the associated transmission queues, request groups ortransmission streams to which the delay information and/or backloginformation corresponds. Some formats support the opportunity to reportabout different transmission queues, request groups or transmissionstreams in the same report slot. Some formats may convey aggregate delayand/or backlog information for the wireless terminal.

FIG. 4 is a drawing of an exemplary base station 400 in accordance withvarious embodiments. Exemplary base station 400 may be any of theexemplary base stations (102, 104) of exemplary system 100 of FIG. 1.

Base station 400 includes a receiver module 404, a transmitter module408, a processor 410, an I/O interface 412, and a memory 414 coupledtogether via a bus 416 over which the various elements may interchangedata and information. Memory 414 includes routines 418 anddata/information 420. The processor 410, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines 418 and uses the data/information 420 in memory 414 to controlthe operation of the base station 400 and implement methods.

Receiver module 404, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna 402 via which the base station 400 receives uplink signals froma plurality of wireless terminals. Uplink signals include, e.g., controlinformation reports such as delay information reports, backloginformation reports, and/or reports including jointly coded delay andbacklog information. Receiver module 404 receives delay information froma first wireless terminal, the delay information corresponding to datawaiting to be transmitted by the first wireless terminal. The receivermodule 404 also receives additional delay information from at least oneadditional wireless terminal corresponding to data waiting to betransmitted by the at lest one additional wireless terminal. Uplinksignals also include traffic channel segment signals from wirelessterminals conveying WT transmission queue(s) data.

Transmitter module 408, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled totransmit antenna 406 via which the base station transmits downlinksignals to wireless terminals. The downlink signals include assignmentsignals conveying assignments of uplink traffic channel segments forwireless terminals.

I/O interface 412 couples the base station 400 to other network nodes,e.g., other base stations, routers, AAA nodes, Home agent nodes, etc.and/or the Internet. I/O interface 412 by coupling base station 400 to abackhaul network allows a wireless terminal using a base station 400attachment point to participate in a communications session with anotherwireless terminal using a different base station as its point of networkattachment.

Routines 418 include a scheduling module 422, a control reportprocessing module 424, an assignment signals generation module 426, anda traffic channel segment processing module 428. Scheduling module 422,e.g. a scheduler, schedules wireless terminal uplink transmission tosaid first wireless terminal as a function of received delay informationcorresponding to the first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, thescheduling of uplink transmission to said first wireless terminal by thescheduling module 422 is also performed as a function of receivedadditional delay information corresponding to at least one additionalwireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplinktransmission to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling module422 is also performed as a function of received backlog information fromthe first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling ofuplink transmission to said first wireless terminal by the schedulingmodule 422 is also performed as a function of received backloginformation from at least one additional wireless terminal. In someembodiments, the scheduling of uplink transmission to said firstwireless terminal by the scheduling module 422 is also performed as afunction of stored quality of service information corresponding to thefirst wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplinktransmission to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling module422 is also performed as a function of stored quality of serviceinformation corresponding to at least one additional wireless terminal.

In some embodiments, the first wireless terminal includes first andsecond queues, and delay information is received and storedcorresponding to both first and second queues. In some such embodiments,the scheduling module 422 schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to the first wireless terminal as a function of the storeddelay information corresponding to both first and second queues.

In various embodiments, first and second transmission queues of thefirst wireless terminal correspond to first and second traffic flows,and the first traffic flow is a voice traffic flow and the secondtraffic flow is a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming or otherinteractive uplink traffic flow.

Control report processing module 424 processes received uplink controlinformation reports, e.g., delay information reports, backloginformation reports, and/or combination reports conveying jointly codeddelay and backlog information, and recovers the information beingcommunicated, e.g., a maximum queuing delay, a minimum delay totransmission deadline, and/or backlog information such as queue framecount or a queue delta frame count with respect to a previous report.

Assignment signals generation module 426 is responsive to schedulingmodule 422 decisions and generates assignment signals conveying uplinktraffic channel segment assignments directed to identified wirelessterminals. Traffic channel segment processing module 428 recovers uplinktraffic channel segment signals from wireless terminals and associatesthe recovered information, e.g., packets of user data, with thescheduled wireless terminal corresponding to the segment.

Data/information 420 includes a plurality of sets of wireless terminaldata/information (WT 1 data/information 430, . . . WT N data/information432), channel structure information 434 and control reports' formatinformation 436. WT 1 data/information 430 includes received uplinkcontrol reports 438, delay information 440, received transmissionbacklog information 442, recovered uplink traffic data/information 444,assignment information 446, and quality of service information 448. Insome embodiments, at least some of the different wireless terminalsusing base station 400 have during some interval different quality ofservice levels. Delay information 440 includes one or more sets of delayinformation (queue 1 delay information 450, . . . , queue N delayinformation 452). Queue 1 delay information 450 includes at least oneof: a maximum queuing delay 454 corresponding to WT 1 transmission queue1 and a minimum delay to transmission deadline 456 corresponding to WT 1transmission queue 1. Maximum queuing delay 454 indicates a maximumamount of time data waiting to be transmitted has been waiting in WT 1'stransmission queue 1. Queue N delay information 452 includes at lest oneof: a maximum queuing delay 458 corresponding to WT 1 transmission queueN and a minimum delay to transmission deadline 460 corresponding to WT 1transmission queue N. Received transmission backlog information 442indicates amount(s) of data waiting to be transmitted to base station400 by WT 1. Received transmission backlog information 442 includes oneor more of queue backlog information (queue 1 backlog information 462, .. . , queue N backlog information 464). For example, queue 1 backloginformation 462 is a frame count representing WT transmission queue 1backlog waiting to be transmitted, and queue N backlog information 464is a frame count representing WT transmission queue N backlog waiting tobe transmitted.

Received uplink control reports 438 include various control informationreports used by the base station to characterize the wireless terminal,e.g., delay information reports, backlog request reports for requestinguplink traffic channel resources, combination backlog/delay reports,interference reports, power reports, self-noise reports, and SNRreports. Channel structure information 434 includes, e.g., uplinkdedicated control channel structure information identifying locations ina recurring structure for communicating delay information and/or backloginformation. In some embodiments, the channel structure information 434includes information identifying that delay information corresponding toa wireless terminal's first transmission queue is to be communicated ata higher rate than delay information corresponding to the same wirelessterminal's second transmission queue. Control reports' formatinformation 436 includes bit mapping definition informationcorresponding to delay information reports, backlog information reports,and combination delay/backlog reports.

FIG. 5 is a drawing of a flowchart 500 of an exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.Operation starts in step 502, where the wireless terminal is powered onand initialized, and proceeds to step 504. In step 504, the wirelessterminal determines delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted. Step 504 includes sub-step 506. In sub-step 506, thewireless terminal determines a maximum queuing delay, said maximumqueuing delay indicating a maximum amount of time data to be transmittedhas been waiting to be transmitted. In some embodiments, determining amaximum queuing delay includes determining individual maximum queuingdelays corresponding to each a plurality of transmission streams anddetermining the maximum queuing delay as a function of the determinedindividual maximum queuing delays, e.g., by using the largest determinedindividual maximum queuing delay as the determined maximum queuingdelay.

In some embodiments, the wireless terminal determines aggregate backloginformation and/or condition based aggregate backlog informationcorresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.

Operation proceeds from step 504 to one of alternate steps 508 and step510.

In step 508, the wireless terminal communicates at least some of saiddetermined delay information to a base station. Step 508 includessub-step 514. In sub-step 514, the wireless terminal transmits saidmaximum queuing delay in a delay information report transmitted over awireless communications link. Operation proceeds from step 508 to step512. In step 512, the wireless terminal communicates backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. In some suchembodiments, the communicated backlog information includes aggregatebacklog information and/or condition based aggregate backlog informationcorresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.

In alternative step 510, the wireless terminal communicates backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. Step510 includes sub-steps 516 and 518. In sub-step 516, the wirelessterminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g., frame counts, of datato be transmitted and delay information. In some embodiments, thebacklog information includes aggregated backlog information and/orcondition based aggregate backlog information corresponding to aplurality of transmission streams. Then, in sub-step 518, the wirelessterminal transmits the jointly coded information over a wirelesscommunications link.

FIG. 6 is a drawing of a flowchart 600 of an exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.Operation starts in step 602, where the wireless terminal is powered onand initialized, and proceeds to step 604. In step 604, the wirelessterminal determines delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted. Step 604 includes sub-steps 606 and 608. In sub-step 606,the wireless terminal determines a first maximum queuing delay, saidfirst maximum queuing delay being a maximum period of time data, e.g., apacket, in a first transmission queue has been waiting to be transmittedby the wireless terminal. In sub-step 608, the wireless terminaldetermines a second maximum queuing delay, said second maximum queuingdelay being a maximum period of time data, e.g., a packets, in a secondtransmission queue has been waiting to be transmitted by the wirelessterminal.

In some embodiments, the first and second transmission queues correspondto different traffic flows. In some such embodiments, the firsttransmission queue correspond to a voice traffic flow and the secondtransmission queue corresponds to a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., agaming traffic flow or other interactive traffic flow. Operationproceeds from step 604 to one of alternate steps 610 and step 612.

In step 610, the wireless terminal communicates at least some of saiddetermined delay information to a base station. Step 610 includessub-step 616. In sub-step 616, the wireless terminal communicates saidfirst and second maximum queuing delays to the base station. Sub-step616 includes sub-step 618. In sub-step 618, the wireless terminaltransmits said first and second maximum queuing delays in or more delayinformation report(s) transmitted over a wireless communications link.In some embodiments, the first maximum queuing delay is reported morefrequently than the second queuing delay. In some embodiments, themaximum of the two queuing delays is reported. Operation provides fromstep 610 to step 614. In step 614, the wireless terminal communicatesbacklog information indicating an amount of data waiting to betransmitted.

In alternative step 612, the wireless terminal communicates backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. Step612 includes sub-steps 620 and 622. In sub-step 620, the wirelessterminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g., frame counts, of datato be transmitted and delay information. Then, in sub-step 622, thewireless terminal transmits the jointly coded information over awireless communications link. In some embodiments, the first maximumqueuing delay is reported more frequently than the second maximumqueuing delay.

FIG. 7 is a drawing of a flowchart 700 of an exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.Operation starts in step 702, where the wireless terminal is powered onand initialized, and proceeds to step 704. In step 704, the wirelessterminal determines delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted, said delay information including at least a minimum delayto transmission deadline. In some embodiments, determining a minimumdelay to transmission deadline to be communicated includes determiningan individual minimum delay to transmission deadline corresponding toeach a plurality of transmission streams and determining the minimumdelay to transmission deadline to be communicated as a function of thedetermined individual minimum determined delays, e.g., by using thesmallest of the determined individual delays to deadline from the setunder consideration as the minimum delay to transmission deadline.

In some embodiments, the wireless terminal determines aggregate backloginformation and/or condition based aggregate backlog informationcorresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.

Operation proceeds from step 704 to one of alternate steps 706 and step708.

In step 706, the wireless terminal communicates at least some of saiddetermined delay information to a base station. Step 706 includessub-step 712. In sub-step 712, the wireless terminal transmits saiddetermined minimum delay in a delay information report transmitted overa wireless communications link. Operation provides from step 706 to step710. In step 710, the wireless terminal communicates backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. In some suchembodiments, the communicated backlog information includes aggregatedbacklog information and/or condition based aggregate backlog informationcorresponding to a plurality of transmission streams.

In alternative step 708, the wireless terminal communicates backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. Step708 includes sub-steps 714 and 716. In sub-step 714, the wirelessterminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g., frame counts, of datato be transmitted and delay information. In some embodiments, thebacklog information includes aggregated backlog information and/orcondition based aggregate backlog information corresponding to aplurality of transmission streams. Then, in sub-step 716, the wirelessterminal transmits the jointly coded information over a wirelesscommunications link.

FIG. 8 is a drawing of a flowchart 800 of an exemplary method ofoperating a wireless terminal in accordance with various embodiments.Operation starts in step 802, where the wireless terminal is powered onand initialized, and proceeds to step 804. In step 804, the wirelessterminal determines delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted, said delay information including at least a minimum delayto a transmission deadline. Step 804 includes sub-steps 806 and 808. Insub-step 806, the wireless terminal determines a first minimum delay toa first transmission deadline, e.g., a first packet transmissiondeadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to data to betransmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in a firsttransmission queue. In sub-step 808, the wireless terminal determines asecond minimum delay to a second transmission deadline, e.g., a secondpacket transmission deadline, said second minimum delay corresponding todata to be transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting ina second transmission queue.

In some embodiments, the first and second transmission queues correspondto different traffic flows. In some such embodiments, the firsttransmission queue corresponds to a voice traffic flow and the secondtransmission queue correspond to a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., agaming traffic flow or other interactive traffic flow. Operationproceeds from step 804 to one of alternate steps 810 and step 812.

In step 810, the wireless terminal communicates at least some of saiddetermined delay information to a base station. Step 810 includessub-step 816. In sub-step 816, the wireless terminal communicates saidfirst and second minimum delays to the base station. Sub-step 816includes sub-step 818. In sub-step 818, the wireless terminal transmitssaid first and second minimum delays in one or more delay informationreport(s) transmitted over a wireless communications link. In someembodiments, the first minimum delay is reported more frequently thanthe second minimum delay. In some embodiments, the minimum of the twodelays is reported. Operation provides from step 810 to step 814. Instep 814, the wireless terminal communicates backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted.

In alternative step 812, the wireless terminal communicates backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. Step812 includes sub-steps 820 and 822. In sub-step 820, the wirelessterminal jointly codes backlog information, e.g., frame counts, of datato be transmitted and delay information. Then, in sub-step 822 thewireless terminal transmits the jointly coded information over awireless communications link. In some embodiments, the first minimumdelay is reported more frequently than the second minimum delay.

Operation proceeds from step 814 or step 812 to step 824, in which thewireless terminal updates transmission queues. Step 824 includessub-step 826 and 828 which are performed at times. In sub-step 826, thewireless terminal drops at least some data, e.g., at least one packet,from said first transmission queue if no data is transmitted from thefirst transmission queue by the first transmission deadline. In sub-step828, the wireless terminal drops at least some data, e.g., at least onepacket, from said second transmission queue if no data is transmittedfrom the second transmission queue by the second transmission deadline.

FIG. 9 comprising the combination of FIG. 9A, FIG. 9B and FIG. 9C is adrawing of a flowchart 900 of an exemplary method of operating a basestation in accordance with various embodiments. The exemplary methodstarts in step 902, where the base station is powered on and initializedand proceeds to steps 904 and 906.

In step 904, the base station receives transmission backlog informationfrom a first wireless terminal, the transmission backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted to said basestation from said first wireless terminal. Step 904 includes sub-step908, and in some embodiments, sub-step 910. In sub-step 908, the basestation receives transmission backlog from the first wireless terminalcorresponding to a first transmission queue. In sub-step 910, the basestation receives transmission backlog from the first wireless terminalcorresponding to a second transmission queue. Operation proceeds fromstep 904 to step 916.

In step 906, the base station receives transmission backlog informationfrom at least one additional wireless terminal, the transmission backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted tosaid base station from said at least one additional wireless terminal.Step 906 includes sub-step 912, and in some embodiments, sub-step 914.In sub-step 912, the base station receives transmission backlog from theat least one additional wireless terminal corresponding to a firstadditional transmission queue. In sub-step 914, the base stationreceives transmission backlog from the at least one additional wirelessterminal corresponding to a second additional transmission queue.Operation proceeds from step 906 to step 918.

In step 916, the base station receives delay information from the firstwireless terminal, the delay information corresponding to data waitingto be transmitted by the first wireless terminal. Step 916 includessub-step 920 and, in some embodiments, sub-step 922. In sub-step 920,the base station receives delay information from the first wirelessterminal corresponding to the first transmission queue. In sub-step 922,the base station receives delay information from the first wirelessterminal corresponding to the second transmission queue.

In step 918, the base station receives delay information from said atleast one additional wireless terminal, the delay informationcorresponding to data waiting to be transmitted by said at least oneadditional wireless terminal. Step 918 includes sub-step 924 and, insome embodiments, sub-step 926. In sub-step 924, the base stationreceives delay information from said at least one additional wirelessterminal corresponding to the first additional transmission queue. Insub-step 922, the base station receives delay information from said atleast one additional wireless terminal corresponding to the secondadditional transmission queue.

Operation proceeds from steps 916 and 918 via connecting node A 928 tostep 930. In step 930, the base station schedules wireless terminaluplink transmission to said wireless terminals. Step 930 includessub-steps 932 and 934. In sub-step 932, the base station scheduleswireless terminal uplink transmission to said first wireless terminal.In sub-step 934, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to said at least one wireless terminal.

Sub-step 932 includes sub-step 936 and, in some embodiments, one or moreof sub-steps 938, 940, 942, 944 and 946. In sub-step 936, the basestation schedules wireless terminal uplink transmission to said firstwireless terminal as a function of said received delay information. Insub-step 938, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to said first wireless terminal as a function of saidreceived backlog information from said first wireless terminal. Insub-step 940, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to said first wireless terminal as a function of a qualityof service level to which the first wireless terminal corresponds. Insub-step 942, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to said first wireless terminal as a function of saidreceived additional delay information. In sub-step 944, the base stationschedules wireless terminal uplink transmission to said first wirelessterminal as a function of said received backlog information from said atleast one additional wireless terminal. In sub-step 946, the basestation schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said firstwireless terminal as a function of a quality of service level to whichthe at least one additional wireless terminal corresponds. In variousembodiments, the quality of service level corresponds to the firstwireless terminal may be, and sometimes is, different than the qualityof service level corresponding to the at least one additional wirelessterminal.

Sub-step 934 includes sub-step 948 and, in some embodiments, one or moreof sub-steps 950, 952, 954, 956 and 958. In sub-step 948, the basestation schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said atleast one additional wireless terminal as a function of said receivedadditional delay information. In sub-step 950, the base stationschedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said at least oneadditional wireless terminal as a function of said received backloginformation from said at least one additional wireless terminal. Insub-step 952, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmissions to said at least one additional wireless terminal as afunction of a quality of service level to which the at least oneadditional wireless terminal corresponds. In sub-step 954, the basestation schedules wireless terminal uplink transmissions to said atleast one additional wireless terminal as a function of said receiveddelay information. In sub-step 956, the base station schedules wirelessterminal uplink transmissions to said at least one additional wirelessterminal as a function of said received backlog information from saidfirst wireless terminal. In sub-step 958, the base station scheduleswireless terminal uplink transmissions to said at least one additionalwireless terminal as a function of a quality of service level to whichsaid first wireless terminal corresponds.

Operation proceeds from step 930 via connecting node B 960 to step 962.In step 962, the base station transmits assignment information, e.g.,uplink traffic channel segment assignment information, to said wirelessterminal. Step 962 includes sub-steps 964 and 966. In sub-step 964, thebase station transmits assignment information, e.g., uplink trafficchannel segment assignment information, to the first wireless terminalto assign an uplink segment, e.g., an uplink traffic channel segment,corresponding to a point in time scheduled for uplink transmission ofdata by said first wireless terminal. In sub-step 966, the base stationtransmits assignment information, e.g., uplink traffic channel segmentassignment information, to said at least one additional wirelessterminal to assign an uplink segment, e.g., an uplink traffic channelsegment, corresponding to a point in time scheduled for uplinktransmission of data by said at least one additional wireless terminal.Operating proceeds from step 962 to steps 968 and 970.

In step 968, the base station receives updated delay information fromthe first wireless terminal. Step 968 includes sub-step 972 and, in someembodiments, sub-step 974. In sub-step 972, the base station receivesupdated delay information from the first wireless terminal correspondingto the first transmission queue. In sub-step 974, the base stationreceives updated delay information from the first wireless terminalcorresponding to the second transmission queue, delay informationcorresponding to the first queue being received during the same periodof time more frequently than delay information corresponding to thesecond queue.

In step 970, the base station receives updated delay information fromsaid at least one additional wireless terminal. Step 970 includessub-step 976 and, in some embodiments, sub-step 978. In sub-step 976,the base station receives updated delay information from said at leastone additional wireless terminal corresponding to the first additionaltransmission queue. In sub-step 978, the base station receives updateddelay information from said additional wireless terminal correspondingto the second additional transmission queue, delay informationcorresponding to the first additional queue being received during thesame period of time more frequently than delay information correspondingto the second additional queue.

In some embodiments, the first and second transmission queues correspondto first and second traffic flows, respectively. In some suchembodiments, the first traffic flow is a voice traffic flow and thesecond traffic flow is a non-voice traffic flow, e.g., a gaming trafficflow or other interactive traffic flow.

In some embodiments, the delay information received from the firstwireless terminal includes a maximum queuing delay, said maximum queuingdelay indicating a maximum amount of time data waiting to be transmittedhas been waiting. In some embodiments, the delay information receivedfrom the first wireless terminal includes a minimum delay to atransmission deadline.

FIG. 10 is a drawing 1000 of exemplary uplink dedicated control channel(DCCH) segments in an exemplary uplink timing and frequency structure inan exemplary orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) multipleaccess wireless communications system. The uplink dedicated controlchannel is used to send Dedicated Control Reports (DCR) from wirelessterminals to base stations. Vertical axis 1002 plots logical uplink toneindex while horizontal axis 1004 plots the uplink index of the halfslotwithin a beaconslot. In this example, an uplink tone block includes 113logical uplink tones indexed (0, . . . 112); there are seven successiveOFDM symbol transmission time periods within a halfslot, 2 additionalOFDM symbol time periods followed by 16 successive half-slots within asuperslot, and 8 successive superslots within a beacon slot. The first 9OFDM symbol transmission time periods within a superslot are an accessinterval, and the dedicated control channel does not use the air linkresources of the access interval.

The exemplary dedicated control channel is subdivided into 31 logicaltones (uplink tone index 81 1006, uplink tone index 82 1008, . . . ,uplink tone index 111 1010). Each logical uplink tone (81, . . . , 111)in the logical uplink frequency structure corresponds to a logical toneindexed with respect to the DCCH channel (0, . . . , 30).

For each tone in the dedicated control channel there are 40 segments inthe beaconslot corresponding to forty columns (1012, 1014, 1016, 1018,1020, 1022, . . . , 1024). The segment structure repeats on a beaconslotbasis. For a given tone in the dedicated control channel there are 40segments corresponding to a beaconslot 1028; each of the eightsuperslots of the beaconslot includes 5 successive segments for thegiven tone. For example, for first superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028,corresponding to tone 0 of the DCCH, there are five indexed segments(segment [0][0], segment [0][1], segment [0][2], segment [0][3], segment[0][4]). Similarly, for first superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028,corresponding to tone 1 of the DCCH, there are five indexed segments(segment [1][0], segment [1][1], segment [1][2], segment [1][3], segment[1][4]). Similarly, for first superslot 1026 of beaconslot 1028,corresponding to tone 30 of the DCCH, there are five indexed segments(segment [30][0], segment [30][1], segment [30][2], segment [30][3],segment [30][4]).

In this example each segment, e.g., segment [0][0], comprises one tonefor 3 successive half-slots, e.g., representing an allocated uplink airlink resource of 21 OFDM tone-symbols. In some embodiments, logicaluplink tones are hopped to physical tones in accordance with an uplinktone hopping sequence such that the physical tone associated with alogical tone may be different for successive half-slots, but remainsconstant during a given half-slot.

Each logical tone of the dedicated control channel may be assigned bythe base station to a different wireless terminal using the base stationas its current point of attachment. For example, logical tone (1006,1008, . . . , 1010) may be currently assigned to (WT A 1030, WT B 1032,. . . , WT N′ 1034), respectively.

Each uplink DCCH segment is used to transmit a set of Dedicated ControlChannel Reports (DCRs). A list of exemplary DCRs is given in table 1100of FIG. 11. First column 1102 of table 1100 describes abbreviated namesused for each exemplary report. The name of each report ends with anumber which specifies the number of bits of the DCR. Second column 1104of table 1100 briefly describes each named report. In this exemplaryembodiment, there are two type of Delay information reports DELAYA4 andDELAYB4. In addition, the flexible report, whose type is defined byreport TYPE2 can be used to carry a DELAYA4 report or a DELAYB4 reportin a corresponding BODY4 report. In addition, uplink request reports,e.g., ULRQST1, ULRQST3 and/or ULRQST4, are, in some embodiments, used toconvey delay information.

FIG. 12 is a drawing 1299 illustrating an exemplary reporting formatinformation in an exemplary beaconslot for a given DCCH tone, e.g.,corresponding to a wireless terminal. In FIG. 12, each block (1200,1201, 1202, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206, 1207, 1208, 1209, 1210, 1211, 1212,1213, 1214, 1215, 1216, 1217, 1218, 1219, 1220, 1221, 1222, 1223, 1224,1225, 1226, 1227, 1228, 1229, 1230, 1231, 1232, 1233, 1234, 1235, 1236,1237, 1238, 1239) represents one segment whose index s2 (0, . . . , 39)is shown above the block in regular region 1240. Each block, e.g., block1200 represents segment 0, conveys 6 information bits; each blockcomprises 6 rows corresponding to the 6 bits in the segment, where thebits are listed from the most significant bit to the least significantbit downwards from the top row to the bottom row as shown in rectangularregion 1234.

In this exemplary embodiment, delay information is conveyed by means ofthe flexible report and/or by means of one or more of the uplink requestreports (ULRQST1, ULRQST3 and/or ULRQST4). In other embodiments,predetermined slots are allocated in the reporting structure, which arereserved for delay information reports. For example, one or more of thefour bit designed report slots in the exemplary reporting structure ofFIG. 12 may be replaced with a DELAY4 report. In some embodiments somepredetermined slots are allocated to convey delay informationcorresponding to a first queue and some other predetermined slots areallocated to convey delay information corresponding to a second queue.In some such embodiments, the allocation may be such that the delayinformation corresponding to the first queue is transmitted at adifferent rate, e.g., a higher rate, than the delay informationcorresponding to the second queue. In some embodiments, the first andsecond queues correspond to different request groups. In someembodiments, communicated delay information and/or communicated backloginformation represents aggregated information, e.g., corresponding to aplurality of transmission streams.

FIG. 13 is a drawing of a table 1300 describing an exemplary format ofexemplary 4 bit delay report (DELAYA4). Column 1302 of table 1300 liststhe 16 possible information bit patterns for the report, and column 1304lists, for each of the possible bit patterns, maximum delay timeinformation for a packet in a transmission queue which is conveyed bythe report if that bit pattern is communicated. For example, bitpattern=0011 means that the maximum delay time is greater than 15 ms andless than or equal to 20 ms.

FIG. 14 is a drawing of a table 1400 describing an exemplary format ofexemplary 4 bit delay report (DELAYB4). Column 1402 of table 1400 liststhe 16 possible information bit patterns for the report, and column 1404lists, for each of the possible bit patterns, minimum delay to packetdiscard deadline information for a packet in a transmission queue whichis conveyed by the report if that bit pattern is communicated. Forexample, bit pattern=0101 means that the minimum delay to transmissiondeadline is greater than 25 ms and less than or equal to 30 ms.

In some embodiments, at least some delay information reporting formatsaccommodate reporting delay information corresponding to a plurality ofdifferent queues. For example, different delay information can be, andsometimes is, reported corresponding to different queues or differentgroupings of data to be transmitted, e.g., a first delay associated withqueued voice traffic and a second delay associated with other timesensitive traffic.

FIG. 15 is a drawing of a table 1500 describing an exemplary flexiblereport corresponding to TYPE2 and BODY4. In the flexible report, thewireless terminal selects which type of report to communicate in theallocated flexible report slot. In this exemplary embodiment, theselection for the flexible report includes the option to report delayinformation, e.g., using either DELAYA4 or DELAYB4 format. The wirelessterminals communicates its selection of report type in a TYPE2 reportand a corresponding selected report in the BODY4 report of the allocatedflexible report slot. Column 1502 of table 1500 lists the 4 possibleinformation bit patterns for the TYPE2 report, and column 1504 lists,for each of the possible bit patterns, the report to be carried in theBODY4 report position if that bit pattern is communicated. For example,if bit pattern=11 is communicated in the TYPE2 report slot, a DELAYB4report is to be communicated in the corresponding BODY4 slot.

In various embodiments a wireless terminal provides delay informationfor uplink traffic backlog. In order to enable a base station (BS) toprovide adequate quality of service (Qos) in the uplink, the wirelessterminal (WT), in some embodiments, periodically transmits controlinformation to the BS. For example, this control information includes,in some embodiments, of one or more of the following: amount of backlog,i.e., queue length, at the WT, power availability at the WT andinformation pertaining to interference management, such as, e.g., pathloss ratio or beacon ratio reports. However, a scheduler, in addition tothe information listed above, could also beneficially use informationrelated to delay in order to make timely decisions when schedulingdelay-sensitive traffic. Examples of such delay-sensitive trafficinclude voice, gaming and other interactive applications.

Delay information can, in some embodiments, take one of the followingtwo forms. (1) The maximum queuing delay across each of the packets inthe WT's queue. In the case where the WT has multiple queues, each for adifferent traffic flow, the maximum could, in some embodiments, becomputed across the packets in one or more queues. Note that each ofthese queues could represent traffic with different Qos requirements.Typically, this maximum would be calculated for packets that belong todelay-sensitive traffic flows. (2) The minimum time remaining toscheduling deadline or packet discard deadline across each of thepackets in the WT's queue. Once again, if the WT has multiple queues,each for a different traffic flow, the minimum could, in someembodiments, be calculated for packets with latency or delayconstraints.

The delay information itself can be reported in several ways. In anexemplary system, e.g., an exemplary OFDM wireless communicationssystem, for example, the delay information can be transmitted usingrequest dictionaries. An exemplary request dictionary, in some exemplaryembodiment, includes a plurality of different bit size request reports,e.g., a 1-bit, a 3-bit and a 4-bit request report. Each of these reportsis used to provide information pertaining to the backlog across trafficflows at the WT.

The 1-bit report, for example, can be used to simply indicate thepresence of traffic with time remaining to deadline less than T ms. Forexample, T could equal 20 ms. The remaining report types are, e.g., usedto provide more detailed backlog information, such as time remaining todeadline and total backlog, for the traffic flows. More precisely, eachof these reports could be used to convey one or both deadline and totalbacklog information. This is illustrated below using several examples.

Let D denote the minimum time remaining, in milliseconds, to thescheduling deadline for each of the packets in the WT's queues. Let Ndenote the total backlog at the WT, e.g., a MAC frame count. Using thesenotations, the 3-bit and 4-bit reports are as follows.

In one illustrative example of a request dictionary, Dictionary A asrepresented by Table 1700 of FIG. 17 and Table 1800 of FIG. 18, the WTonly transmits total backlog information in the 3-bit report. The 4-bitreport, on the other hand is used to transmit either delay informationor total backlog information. In this exemplary embodiment, the 3-bitreport depends on two control factors, y and z, which, in turn, dependon a previous power report, e.g., the last reported uplink DCCH backoffreport, x, and a previous interference report, e.g., the last reportedbeacon ratio report, b_(actual). The WT then calculates b, the “adjustedgeneric beacon ratio”, to be equal to b_(actual)—BEACON_RATIO_OFFSET.Finally, let R_(max) be the maximum rate option that the WT can support,and N_(max) be the number of MAC frames corresponding to the rateoption. An example of determining exemplary control factors is shown inTable 1600. In Table 1600, first column 1602 lists various testconditions; second column 1604 lists corresponding values for controlfactor y for each condition; third column 1606 lists correspondingvalues for control factor z corresponding for each condition. In Table1600, given x and b, the of y and z should be taken as those from thefirst row, proceeding from top to bottom, for which the condition in thefirst column is satisfied.

In the 4-bit report of the format of table 1800 of FIG. 18, the WTtransmits the time remaining to deadline information D wheneverD<T^(max). For example, T^(max)=100 ms. Otherwise, it transmits backloginformation. Define${\Delta = \left\lceil \frac{N - N^{\quad\min}}{y} \right\rceil},$where N^(min) is determined based on the value of N at the time of thelast 3-bit report, using Table 1700 of FIG. 17.

In yet another illustrative example of a request dictionary, DictionaryB represented by table 1900 of FIG. 19 and Table 2000 of FIG. 20, the WTtransmits delay information in the 3-bit report using the format oftable 1900 of FIG. 19. The 4-bit report with format of table 2000 ofFIG. 20, on the other hand is used to transmit total backloginformation. The control factors y and z used for the 4-bit report aredetermined from DCCH backoffs and adjusted beacon ratio report in amanner described above with regard to Table 1600 of FIG. 16.

In yet another illustrative example of a request dictionary, DictionaryC represented by table 2100 of FIG. 21 and table 2200 of FIG. 22, theWT—as in Dictionary B above—transmits delay information in the 3-bitreport using the format of table 2100 of FIG. 21. However, in the 4-bitreport with the format of table 2200 of FIG. 22, the WT can transmiteither the total backlog information or the number of frames, N_(D),with time remaining to deadline<=D^(max). D^(max), for example couldequal 50 ms. In yet another example, D^(max) could equal T^(max).

The examples above illustrate that several request dictionaries can beconstructed where request reports, e.g., the 3-bit and/or 4-bit requestreports, contain one or more of the following: (1) delay information,(2) total backlog information, (3) backlog information for some of thetraffic flows, (4) total backlog with time remaining to deadline lessthan some value N_(D), and (5) a refinement of the request informationcarried in a previous report, e.g., the previous 3-bit request report,4-bit request report or the previous request report.

In an exemplary wireless communications system, e.g., an exemplary OFDMsystem, in addition to or in place of providing delay information to theBS using request reports, e.g., request reports as part of requestdictionaries, as illustrated above, the WT could transmit delayinformation using separate delay information reports. In some suchembodiments, a flexible report, e.g., a flexible dedicated controlchannel (DCCH) report, could be used. With the flexible report, thewireless terminal selects the type of report to send in the reportingopportunity allowed to the flexible report. For example, an exemplary4-bit flexible report could, contain one or more of the following: (1)delay information, (2) total backlog with time remaining to deadlineless than some value N_(D), and (3) a refinement of the requestinformation carried in a previous report, e.g., the previous 3-bit or4-bit UL-RQST report or the previous UL-RQST report.

Note that the bit sizes for the request reports in the examples above,e.g., 1 bit, 3 bit, 4 bit, are exemplary, and in other embodiments,different bit size request reports may be used. FIGS. 12 and 13 providetwo examples of exemplary delay information report formats. FIG. 15describes a flexible report format that may be used to convey delayinformation during some times and is used to carry other informationduring other times.

Another exemplary embodiment shall be described which uses threedifferent bit size request reports for uplink traffic, ULRQST1, ULRQST3and ULRQST4, and which supports the communication of delay information.

The WT uses an ULRQST1, ULRQST3 or ULRQST4 to report the status of theMAC frame queues at the WT transmitter.

The WT transmitter maintains MAC frame queues, which buffers the MACframes to be transmitted over the link. The MAC frames are convertedfrom the LLC frames, which are constructed from packets of upper layerprotocols. Any packet shall belong to one of 16 streams. If the packetbelongs to one stream, then all the MAC frames of that packet alsobelong to that stream.

The WT reports the number of MAC frames in the 16 streams that the WTmay intend to transmit. In the ARQ protocol, those MAC frames shall bethose marked as “new” or “to be retransmitted”. The WT should maintaintwo vectors of sixteen elements N[0:15] and D[0:15], and shall maintainthree scalars N_(T), N_(D), and D_(min): for k=0:15, N[k] represents thenumber of MAC frames that the WT intends to transmit in stream k, whileD[k] represents the minimum time remaining to transmission deadline forthe packets that the WT intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore,

-   -   D_(min)=min_([k=0:15])D[k],    -   N_(T)=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . . . +N[15], and    -   N_(D)=number of MAC frames with time remaining to transmission        deadline≦T_(M).

For example, T_(M)=20 ms. The WT should report information about N_(T),N_(D), and D_(min) to the base station sector so that the base stationsector can utilize the information in an uplink (UL) schedulingalgorithm to determine the assignment of uplink traffic channel (UL.TCH)segments.

The WT uses an ULRQST1 to report N_(D) according to Table 2300 of FIG.23.

Let D denote the minimum time remaining, in milliseconds, to thescheduling deadline for all packets in the WT's queues. Let N denote thetotal backlog at the WT. Using these notations, the 3-bit and 4-bitreports are as follows.

The WT uses ULRQST3 or ULRQST4 to report one or more of N_(T), N_(D), orD_(min) according to a request dictionary. A request dictionary isidentified by a request dictionary (RD) reference number. At a giventime, the WT uses only one request dictionary. When the WT just entersthe ACTIVE state, the WT uses the default request dictionary. To changethe request dictionary, the WT and the base station sector uses an upperlayer configuration protocol. When the WT migrates from the ON state tothe HOLD state, the WT keeps the last request dictionary used in the ONstate so that when the WT migrates from the HOLD state on the ON statelater, the WT continues use the same request dictionary until therequest dictionary is explicitly changed. However, if the WT leaves theACTIVE state, then the memory of the last request dictionary used shallbe cleared.

The request dictionaries show that any given instance of a ULRQST3 orULRQST4 report may not completely contain the actual values of N_(T),N_(D), or D_(min). A report is in effect a quantized version of theactual values of N_(T), N_(D), or D_(min). A general guideline is thatthe WT should send a report to minimize the discrepancy between thereported and actual values of N_(T), N_(D), or D_(min). However, the WThas the flexibility of determining a report to benefit the WT the most.For example, when the WT is using request dictionary 0, the WT may useULRQST4 to report N_(T) in some cases and N_(D) in others. Furthermore,in instances where the WT reports N_(T), it may not automatically implythat N_(D)=0.

To determine ULRQST3 or ULRQST4, the WT first calculates the followingtwo parameters, y and z, e.g., in accordance with table 1600 of FIG. 16and then uses one of the following dictionaries. Denote by x the value(in dB) of the most recent ULTXBKF5 report, and by b₀ the value (in dB)of the most recent generic DLBNR4 report. An exemplary range for x is6.5 dB to 40 dB. An exemplary range for b₀ is −3 dB to 26 dB. The WTfurther determines an adjusted generic DLBNR4 report value b as follows:b=b₀—ulTCHrateFlashAssignmentOffset, where minus is defined in the dBsense. Given x and b, the WT determines y and z as those from the firstrow in table 1600 of FIG. 16 for which the condition in the first columnis satisfied. For example, if x=17 and b=1, then z=min(3, N_(max)) andy=1. Denote R_(max) the highest rate option that the WT can support, andN_(max) the number of MAC frames that can transmitted in that rateoption.

Table 2400 of FIG. 24 and Table 2500 of FIG. 25 define an exemplaryrequest dictionary with the RD reference number equal to 0.

Table 2600 of FIG. 26 and Table 2700 of FIG. 27 define an exemplaryrequest dictionary with the RD reference number equal to 1.

Define${\Delta = \left\lceil \frac{N_{T} - N_{T}^{\quad\min}}{y*g} \right\rceil},$where N_(T) ^(min) and g are variables determined by the most recentULRQST4 as per Table 2600 of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 is a drawing of an exemplary wireless terminal 2800, e.g.,mobile node, in accordance with various embodiments. Exemplary wirelessterminal 2800 may be any of the exemplary wireless terminals (110, 112,114, 116) of system 100 of FIG. 1.

Wireless terminal 2800 includes a receiver module 2802, a transmittermodule 2804, a processor 2806, user I/O devices 2808, and a memory 2810coupled together via a bus 2812 over which the various elementsinterchange data and information. Memory 2810 includes routines 2814 anddata/information 2816. The processor 2806, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines 2814 and uses the data/information 2816 in memory 2810 tocontrol the operation of the wireless terminal 2800 and implementmethods.

Receiver module 2802, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna 2803 via which the wireless terminal 2800 receives downlinksignals. Downlink signals include assignment signals includingassignments of uplink communications resources, e.g., assignment ofuplink traffic channel segments. Transmitter module 2804, e.g., an OFDMtransmitter, is coupled to transmit antenna 2805, via which the wirelessterminal 2800 transmits uplink signals to a base station. Uplink signalsinclude, e.g., control information reports including backlog reportssuch as, e.g., uplink request reports (ULRQST1, ULRQST3, ULRQST4), powerreports, interference reports, etc. Uplink signals also include uplinktraffic channel segment signals conveying packets of information fromtransmission queues. Transmitter module 2804 transmits at least somedelay information determined by transmission delay determination module2818, e.g., communicated as part of an uplink request report and/ortransmitted as part of a standalone delay report. In some embodiments,the same antenna is used for receiver and transmitter.

User I/O devices 2808, e.g., microphone, keypad, keyboard, mouse,switches, camera, speaker, display, etc., allows a user of wirelessterminal 2800 to input data/information and to access outputdata/information. User I/O devices 2808 also allow a user of wirelessterminal 2800 to control at lest some functions of the wireless terminal2800.

Routines 2814 include a transmission delay determination module 2818, aqueue management module 2820, a transmission control module 2822, and areport generation module 2824. Transmission delay determination module2818 determines delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted, e.g., delay information including a minimum delay totransmission deadline and/or a maximum queuing delay. Transmission delaydetermination module 2818 includes a stream delay determination module2828 and a delay parameter determination module 2830. Stream delaydetermination module 2828 determines individual delay information(stream 1 delay information 2848, . . . , stream N delay information2850) corresponding to one or more transmission streams being maintainedby wireless terminal 2800. Delay parameter determination module 2830determines a delay parameter value 2852 as a function of the individualdelay determinations (stream 1 delay info 2848, . . . stream N delayinfo 2850) of stream delay determination module 2828, e.g., a value tobe encoded in an uplink request report to communicate delay information.

Queue management module 2820 manages the one or more transmissionqueues, e.g., transmission queues for uplink traffic corresponding todifferent transmission streams. Operations of queue management module2820 include maintaining transmission queues and transmission queueframe count information. Queue management module 2820 controls thedropping of data, e.g., a packet, from a transmission queue if datacorresponding to the packet is not transmitted from the transmissionqueue by a transmission deadline, e.g., associated with the packet.Queue management module 2820 includes a backlog informationdetermination module 2821, a frame count aggregation module 2832 and acondition based frame count aggregation module 2834. Backlog informationdetermination module 2821 determines information indicating an amount ofdata waiting to be transmitted, e.g., stream 1 frame count information2844, . . . , stream N frame count 2846. Frame count aggregation module2832 computes an aggregated frame count parameter 2854, e.g., the sum ofthe frame counts of streams (stream 1 frame count 2844, . . . , stream Nframe count 2846). Condition based frame count aggregation module 2834computes an aggregated frame count parameter 2856, e.g., the sum of theframes which satisfy a condition e.g., the sums of frames with timeremaining to a predetermined transmission deadline or the number offrames having been waiting for transmission for a length of timeexceeding a predetermined value.

Report generation module 2824 generates control information reports suchas uplink reports communicating frame count information and/or delayinformation. Report generation module 2824 includes coding module 2826.Coding module 326 performs coding operations including jointly codingbacklog information, e.g., frame counts of data to be transmitted, anddelay information.

Transmission control module 2822 controls the transmitter module 2804 totransmit control information reports including reports communicatingdelay information, e.g., minimum delay to transmission deadlineinformation and/or maximum queuing delay information. p Data/information2816 includes one or more transmission queues corresponding totransmission streams (stream 1 transmission queue 2836, . . . , stream Ntransmission queue 2838), queue statistics 2830, information identifyingpacket(s) to be dropped 2832, report input information 2836, generatedreport information 2838, channel structure information 2840 and controlreports' format information 2842.

The transmission queues (2836, . . . , 2838) include data, e.g., audiodata, image data, text data, file data, etc, to be transmitted by thewireless terminal. Stream 1 transmission queue 2836 includes, e.g., MACframes of data waiting to be transmitted which have been mapped totransmission stream 1. Stream N transmission queue 2838 includes, e.g.,MAC frames of data waiting to be transmitted which have been mapped totransmission stream N. Queue statistics 2830 include frame countscorresponding to backlog for each of the transmission streams (stream 1frame count 2844, . . . , stream N frame count 2846). Stream frame countinformation (2844, . . . , 2846) are outputs of backlog informationdetermination module 2821. Queue statistics 2830 also include delayinformation associated with the different streams (stream 1 delayinformation 2848, . . . , stream N delay information 2850). Stream delayinformation (2848, . . . , 2850) are outputs of stream delaydetermination module 2828. Delay parameter information 2852 is an outputof delay parameter determination module 2830, which uses the delayinformation (2848, . . . , 2850) as inputs. In one embodiment, delayparameter information 2852 is a minimum of values in the set of (2848, .. . , 2850), e.g., a minimum delay to transmission deadline value to becommunicated. In one embodiment, delay parameter information 2852 is amaximum of values in the set of (2848, . . . , 2850), a maximum queuedelay value to be communicated. Aggregated frame count information 2854,e.g., a summation of sets of frame counts (stream 1 frame count 2844, .. . , stream N frame counts 2846) is an output of frame countaggregation module 2832. Condition based aggregated frame countinformation 2856 is an output of condition based frame count aggregationmodule 2834. Typically, the frame count represented by aggregated framecount information 2854 is less than or equal to the frame countrepresented by aggregated frame count information 2854.

Information identifying a packet to be dropped 2832 is an output ofqueue management module 2820 and is used to update a transmission queue,e.g., management module 2820 updates stream 1 transmission queue 2836based on information 2832.

Report input information 2836 includes input information used by reportgeneration module 2824, e.g., information including backlog relatedinformation and/or frame count related information to be encoded into anuplink request report. Report input information 2836 includes, e.g., acombination one or more of delay parameter information 2852, aggregatedframe count information 2854 and condition based aggregated frame countinformation 2856. At different times for the same type of report, insome embodiments, different combinations of input information are used.Generated report information 2838 is an output of report generationmodule 2824, e.g., a 3 bit bit pattern corresponding to an ULRQST3 or a4 bit bit pattern corresponding to an ULRQST4 report using a particularrequest dictionary format, e.g., format or request dictionary withreference 0 or request dictionary with reference 1 of FIGS. 24-27.

Channel structure information 2840 includes, e.g., uplink dedicatedcontrol channel structure information identifying locations in arecurring structure for communicating delay information and/or backloginformation. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include exemplary information that maybe included as part of channel control structure information. Controlreports' format information 2842 include bit mapping definitioninformation corresponding to control information reports including delayinformation reports, backlog information reports, and combinationdelay/backlog reports. FIGS. 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24,25, 26 and 27 provide information used to describe some exemplaryreporting formats.

In one exemplary embodiment corresponding to wireless terminal 2800,there are 16 transmission streams with corresponding queues (2836, . . .2838). Consider that the channel structure information includesinformation of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, and that control reports' formatinformation includes information of FIGS. 23-27. The WT reports thenumber of MAC frames in the 16 streams that the WT may intend totransmit. The WT maintains two vectors of sixteen elements N[0:15] (info2844, . . . , info 2846) and D[0:15] (info 2848, . . . , 2850), andmaintains three scalars N_(T) (info 2854), N_(D) (info 2856), andD_(min) (2852). For k=0:15, N[k] represents the number of MAC framesthat the WT intends to transmit in stream k, while D[k] represents theminimum time remaining to transmission deadline for the packets that theWT intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore,

-   -   D_(min) (info 2852)=min_([k=0:15])D[k],    -   N_(T) (info 2854)=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . . . +N[15], and    -   N_(D) (info 2856)=number of MAC frames with time remaining to        transmission deadline≦T_(M).

For example, T_(M)=20 ms. The WT should report information about N_(T),N_(D), and D_(min) to the base station sector so that the base stationsector can utilize the information in an uplink (UL) schedulingalgorithm to determine the assignment of uplink traffic channel (UL.TCH)segments.

In another exemplary embodiment of wireless terminal 2800, maximumqueuing delay information is determined and used instead of or inaddition to minimum time to transmission delay deadline information.

FIG. 29 is a drawing of an exemplary base station 2900 in accordancewith various embodiments. Exemplary base station 2900 may be any of theexemplary base stations (102, 104) of exemplary system 100 of FIG. 1.

Base station 2900 includes a receiver module 2904, a transmitter module2908, a processor 2910, an I/O interface 2912, and a memory 2914 coupledtogether via a bus 2916 over which the various elements may interchangedata and information. Memory 2914 includes routines 2918 anddata/information 2920. The processor 2910, e.g., a CPU, executes theroutines 2918 and uses the data/information 2920 in memory 2914 tocontrol the operation of the base station 2900 and implement methods.

Receiver module 2904, e.g., an OFDM receiver, is coupled to receiveantenna 2902 via which the base station 2900 receives uplink signalsfrom a plurality of wireless terminals. Uplink signals include, e.g.,control information reports such as delay information reports, backloginformation reports, and/or reports including jointly coded delay andbacklog information. Receiver module 2904 receives delay informationfrom a first wireless terminal, the delay information corresponding todata waiting to be transmitted by the first wireless terminal. Thereceiver module 2904 also receives additional delay information from atleast one additional wireless terminal corresponding to data waiting tobe transmitted by the at least one additional wireless terminal.Receiver module 2904 also receives backlog information, e.g., framecount information from said first wireless terminal and said additionalwireless terminal. Uplink signals also include traffic channel segmentsignals from wireless terminals conveying WT transmission queue(s) data.

Transmitter module 2908, e.g., an OFDM transmitter, is coupled totransmit antenna 2906 via which the base station transmits downlinksignals to wireless terminals. The downlink signals include assignmentsignals conveying assignments of uplink traffic channel segments forwireless terminals.

I/O interface 2912 couples the base station 2900 to other network nodes,e.g., other base stations, routers, AAA nodes, Home agent nodes, etc.and/or the Internet. I/O interface 2912 by coupling base station 2900 toa backhaul network allows a wireless terminal using a base station 2900attachment point to participate in a communications session with anotherwireless terminal using a different base station as its point of networkattachment.

Routines 2918 include a scheduling module 2922, a control reportprocessing module 2924, an assignment signals generation module 2926,and a traffic channel segment processing module 2928. Scheduling module2922, e.g., a scheduler, schedules uplink airlink transmissionresources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments, to said first wirelessterminal as a function of received delay information corresponding tothe first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling ofuplink transmission resources to said first wireless terminal by thescheduling module 2922 is also performed as a function of receivedadditional delay information corresponding to at least one additionalwireless terminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplinktransmission resources to said first wireless terminal by the schedulingmodule 2922 is also performed as a function of received backloginformation from the first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, thescheduling of uplink transmission resources to said first wirelessterminal by the scheduling module 2922 is also performed as a functionof received backlog information from at least one additional wirelessterminal. In some embodiments, the scheduling of uplink transmissionresources to said first wireless terminal by the scheduling module 2922is also performed as a function of stored quality of service informationcorresponding to the first wireless terminal. In some embodiments, thescheduling of uplink transmission resources to said first wirelessterminal by the scheduling module 2922 is also performed as a functionof stored quality of service information corresponding to at least oneadditional wireless terminal.

In some embodiments, the a wireless terminal includes a pluralitytransmission stream queues; however, the control information reportscommunicated to the base station 2900 communicate aggregated informationwith regard to backlog and/or backlog related delay, as opposed tocommunicating information about individual queues. For example, basestation 2900 receives from a wireless terminal a single delay valueindicative of the worst delay across a set of set of transmission streamqueues being used by the wireless terminal. The base station alsoreceived aggregated information regarding backlog counts across the setof set of transmission stream queues being used by the wirelessterminal.

Control report processing module 2924 processes received uplink controlinformation reports, e.g., delay information reports, backloginformation reports, and/or combination reports conveying jointly codeddelay and backlog information, and recovers the information beingcommunicated, e.g., a maximum queuing delay, a minimum delay totransmission deadline, and/or backlog information such as a queue framecount or a queue delta frame count with respect to a previous report.Control report processing module 2924 includes a delay informationrecovery module 2930 which extracts delay information from receivedreports and a backlog information recovery module 2932 which extractsbacklog information, e.g., frame count information, from receivedreports.

Assignment signals generation module 2926 is responsive to schedulingmodule 2922 decisions and generates assignment signals conveying uplinktraffic channel segment assignments directed to identified wirelessterminals. Traffic channel segment processing module 2928 recoversuplink traffic channel segment signals from wireless terminals andassociates the recovered information, e.g., packets of user data, withthe scheduled wireless terminal corresponding to the segment.

Data/information 2920 includes a plurality of sets of wireless terminaldata/information (WT 1 data/information 2934, . . . WT Ndata/information 2936), channel structure information 2938 and controlreports' format information 2940. WT 1 data/information 2934 includesreceived uplink control reports 2942, recovered delay parameterinformation 2944, recovered aggregated frame count information 2946,recovered condition based frame count information 2948, recovered uplinktraffic data/information 2952, assignment information 2950, and qualityof service information 2954. In some embodiments, at least some of thedifferent wireless terminals using base station 2900 have during someinterval different quality of service levels.

Received uplink control reports 2942 include various control informationreports used by the base station to characterize the wireless terminal,e.g., delay information reports, uplink request reports communicatingbacklog information, delay information and/or a combination backlog anddelay information, interference reports such as beacon ratio reports,power reports such as wireless terminal transmission power backoffreports, self-noise reports, and SNR reports.

Recovered delay parameter information 2944 includes a communicated delayvalue associated with the wireless terminal, e.g., a maximum delay timewaiting in a transmission queue or a minimum time to transmissiondeadline, e.g., corresponding to an aggregation of delay informationfrom a plurality of transmission stream queues. Recovered aggregatedframe count information 2946 indicates transmission backlog informationfor wireless terminal 1. Recovered condition based aggregated framecount information 2948 indicates transmission backlog information forwireless terminal 1 corresponding to a frame count with respect to adelay consideration, e.g., a count on frames satisfying a predeterminedcriteria.

Channel structure information 2938 includes, e.g., uplink dedicatedcontrol channel structure information identifying locations in arecurring structure for communicating delay information and/or backloginformation. FIGS. 10, 11 and 12 include exemplary information that maybe included as part of channel control structure information 2938.Control reports' format information 2940 includes bit mapping definitioninformation corresponding to various control channel reports such as,e.g., uplink request reports conveying delay information, backloginformation, and combination delay/backlog information. FIGS. 13, 14,15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27 provide informationused to describe some exemplary reporting formats.

In one exemplary embodiment corresponding to a wireless terminal 2800,there are 16 transmission streams with corresponding queues (2836, . . ., 2838). Consider that the channel structure information includesinformation of FIGS. 10, 11 and 12, and that control reports' formatinformation includes information of FIGS. 23-27. The WT reports thenumber of MAC frames in the 16 streams that the WT may intend totransmit. The WT maintains two vectors of sixteen elements N[0:15] (info2844, . . . , info 2846) and D[0:15] (info 2848, . . . , 2850), andmaintains three scalars N_(T) (info 2854), N_(D) (info 2856), andD_(min) (2852). For k=0:15, N[k] represents the number of MAC framesthat the WT intends to transmit in stream k, while D[k] represents theminimum time remaining to transmission deadline for the packets that theWT intends to transmit in stream k. Furthermore,

-   -   D_(min) (info 2852)=min_([k=0:15])D[k],    -   N_(T) (info 2854)=N[0]+N[1]+N[2]+ . . . +N[15], and    -   N_(D) (info 2856)=number of MAC frames with time remaining to        transmission deadline≦T_(M).

For example, T_(M)=20 ms. The WT 2800 reports information aboutN_(T)N_(D), and D_(min) to the base station sector of base station 2900so that the base station sector can utilize the information in an uplink(UL) scheduling algorithm in scheduling module 2922 to determine theassignment of uplink traffic channel (UL.TCH) segments. Recovered delayparameter 2944 is a recovered D_(min) 2852; recovered aggregated framecount information 2946 is a recovered N_(T) 2854, and recoveredcondition based aggregated frame count information 2948 is a recoveredN_(D) 2856.

In another exemplary embodiment of base station 2900, maximum queuingdelay information is determined and used instead of or in addition tominimum time to transmission delay deadline information.

FIG. 30 comprising the combination of FIG. 30A and FIG. 30B is a drawingof a flowchart 3000 of an exemplary method of operating a base stationin accordance with various embodiments. The exemplary method starts instep 3002, where the base station is powered on and initialized andproceeds to steps 3004 and 3006. Operation proceeds to step 3006 foreach of one or more additional wireless terminals. For example, aplurality of wireless terminals may be in an On-state with respect to abase station and be transmitting control reports to the base stationusing dedicated control channel resources, at least some of said controlreports communicating delay information related to uplink transmissionbacklog.

In step 3004, the base station receives transmission backlog informationfrom a first wireless terminal, the transmission backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted to said basestation from said first wireless terminal. Step 3004 includes one ormore of sub-steps 3008 and 3010. In sub-step 3008, the base stationreceives transmission backlog from the first wireless terminalindicative of an aggregated backlog of transmission stream queues, e.g.,a total frame count of uplink traffic backlog. In sub-step 3010, thebase station receives transmission backlog from the first wirelessterminal indicative of a conditional aggregated backlog of transmissionstream queues, e.g. a count of frames having an associated minimum delayto transmission deadline less than or equal to a predetermined value.Operation proceeds from step 3004 to step 3016.

In step 3006, the base station receives transmission backlog informationfrom an additional wireless terminal, the transmission backloginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted tosaid base station from said additional wireless terminal. Step 3006includes one or more of sub-steps 3012 and 3014. In sub-step 3012, thebase station receives transmission backlog from the additional wirelessterminal indicative of an aggregated backlog of transmission streamqueues, e.g., at total frame count of uplink traffic backlog. Insub-step 3014, the base station receives transmission backlog from thefirst wireless terminal indicative of a conditional aggregated backlogof transmission stream queues, e.g., a count of frames having anassociated minimum delay of transmission deadline less than or equal toa predetermined value. Operation proceeds from step 3006 to step 3018.

In step 3016, the base station receives delay information from the firstwireless terminal, the delay information corresponding to data waitingto be transmitted by the first wireless terminal. For example, the firstwireless terminal may determine for each of one or more transmissionstreams, a minimum time to transmission deadline, and communicate adelay value which is the minimum of the set of individual determinedminimum time to transmission deadline value. As another example, thefirst wireless terminal may determine for each of one or moretransmission streams, a maximum queue delay time, and communicate adelay value which is the maximum of the set of individual determinedmaximum delay values. In various embodiments, the communicated delayvalue is a quantized representation.

In step 3018, the base station receives delay information from theadditional wireless terminal, the delay information corresponding todata waiting to be transmitted by the first wireless terminal. Operationproceeds from steps 3016 and 3018 via connecting node A 3020 to step3022.

In step 3022, the base station schedules wireless terminal uplinktransmission resources, e.g., uplink traffic channel segments, towireless terminals as a function of said received transmission backloginformation and received delay information from said first wirelessterminal and said one more additional wireless terminals. In variousembodiments, the base station also uses quality of service levelinformation corresponding to said first wireless terminal and said atleast one additional wireless terminal in performing schedulingdecisions. Then, in step 3024, the base station transmits assignmentinformation, e.g., uplink traffic channel assignment information to saidwireless terminals. Operation proceeds from step 3024 to step 3026.

In step 3026, the base station receives uplink traffic signals from atleast one wireless terminal which has received an assignment identifyingthat the wireless terminal was allocated uplink traffic channelresources. Operation proceeds from step 3026 to step 3028.

In step 3028, the base station receives updated delay information fromthe first wireless terminal. Then, in step 3030, the base stationschedules wireless terminal uplink transmission resources, e.g., uplinktraffic channel segments, to wireless terminals as a function of saidreceived updated delay information.

In one exemplary embodiment, the base station, e.g., base station 2900,is receiving uplink request reports from said first wireless terminaland said additional wireless terminal which are using request dictionarywith reference number=0 corresponding to table 2300 of FIG. 23, table2400 of FIG. 24 and table 2500 of FIG. 25, and the aggregated backloginformation is represented by N_(T), the conditional aggregated backloginformation is represented by N_(D), and the delay information isrepresented by D_(min). Thus, in some embodiments, the base stationmaintains sets of information (N_(T), N_(D), and D_(min)) correspondingto the wireless terminals which are competing for uplink traffic channelresources, and the scheduler 2922 uses that information in makingscheduling decisions.

In some embodiments, units other than frame counts are utilized fortracking backlog information, e.g., counts of packets, counts of bits,etc.

While described in the context of an OFDM system, the methods andapparatus of various embodiments, are applicable to a wide range ofcommunications systems including many non-OFDM and/or non-cellularsystems.

In various embodiments nodes described herein are implemented using oneor more modules to perform the steps corresponding to one or moremethods, for example, signal processing, delay determination, framecount determinations, aggregation of information, queue management,report generation, encoding, report communication. In some embodimentsvarious features are implemented using modules. Such modules may beimplemented using software, hardware or a combination of software andhardware. Many of the above described methods or method steps can beimplemented using machine executable instructions, such as software,included in a machine readable medium such as a memory device, e.g.,RAM, floppy disk, etc. to control a machine, e.g., general purposecomputer with or without additional hardware, to implement all orportions of the above described methods, e.g., in one or more nodes.Accordingly, among other things, various embodiments are directed to amachine-readable medium including machine executable instructions forcausing a machine, e.g., processor and associated hardware, to performone or more of the steps of the above described method(s).

Numerous additional variations on the methods and apparatus describedabove will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the abovedescriptions. Such variations are to be considered within scope. Themethods and apparatus of various embodiments may be, and in variousembodiments are, used with CDMA, orthogonal frequency divisionmultiplexing (OFDM), and/or various other types of communicationstechniques which may be used to provide wireless communications linksbetween access nodes and mobile nodes. In some embodiments the accessnodes are implemented as base stations which establish communicationslinks with mobile nodes using OFDM and/or CDMA. In various embodimentsthe mobile nodes are implemented as notebook computers, personal dataassistants (PDAs), or other portable devices includingreceiver/transmitter circuits and logic and/or routines, forimplementing the methods of various embodiments.

1. A method of operating a wireless terminal, comprising: determiningdelay information corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delayinformation including at lest a minimum delay to a transmissiondeadline; and communicating at least some of said determined delayinformation to a base station.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein saidminimum delay to a transmission deadline is a first minimum delay to afirst packet transmission deadline, said first minimum delaycorresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal thathas been waiting in a first transmission queue.
 3. The method of claim2, further comprising: dropping at least one packet from said firsttransmission queue if no data is transmitted from said firsttransmission queue by the transmission deadline.
 4. The method of claim2, wherein determining delay information further includes: determining asecond minimum delay to a second packet transmission deadline, saidsecond minimum delay to a transmission deadline corresponding to data tobe transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in asecond transmission queue; and wherein communicating at least some ofsaid determined delay information to a base station includescommunicating said first and second minimum delays to the base station.5. The method of claim 4, wherein said first and second transmissionqueues correspond to different traffic flows.
 6. The method of claim 4,wherein the first transmission queue corresponds to a voice traffic flowand the second transmission queue corresponds to a non-voice trafficflow.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein said first minimum delay isreported more frequently than said second minimum delay.
 8. The methodof claim 1, further comprising: communicating backlog informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein communicating at least some of said determined delayinformation includes transmitting said minimum delay in a delayinformation report transmitted over a wireless communications link; andwherein communicating backlog information includes transmitting saidbacklog information over said wireless communications link in a backloginformation report.
 10. The method of claim 8, wherein communicatingbacklog information indicating an amount of data waiting to betransmitted includes: jointly coding frame counts of data to betransmitted and delay information; and transmitting the jointly codedinformation over a wireless communications link.
 11. The method of claim2, further comprising: determining an aggregated backlog valueindicating an amount of information corresponding to a plurality of datatransmission streams waiting to be communicated.
 12. The method of claim11, further comprising: determining a timing constrained backlog amountindicating an amount of backlog waiting to be transmitted whichsatisfies a timing constraint.
 13. The method of claim 12, furthercomprising: communicating the determined timing constrained backlogamount to a base station.
 14. A wireless terminal, comprising: atransmission delay determination module for determining delayinformation corresponding to data to be transmitted, said delayinformation including at least a minimum delay to a transmissiondeadline; and a wireless transmitter module for transmitting at leastsome delay information determined by said delay determination module.15. The wireless terminal of claim 14, further comprising: a firsttransmission queue for storing data to be transmitted; memory includingqueue statistics including said determined delay information whichincludes said minimum delay to a transmission deadline, said minimumdelay to a transmission deadline being a first minimum delay to a firstpacket transmission deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding todata to be transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting inthe first transmission queue.
 16. The wireless terminal of claim 15,further comprising: a queue management module for dropping at least onepacket from said first transmission queue if no data is transmitted fromsaid first transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
 17. Thewireless terminal of claim 15, further comprising: a second transmissionqueue for storing data to be transmitted; and wherein said queuestatistics including said determined delay information further include asecond minimum delay to a second packet transmission deadline, saidsecond minimum delay to a transmission deadline corresponding to data tobe transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in thesecond transmission queue; and wherein said wireless transmitter is fortransmitting said first and second minimum delays to the base station.18. The wireless terminal of claim 15, wherein said first and secondtransmission queues correspond to different traffic flows.
 19. Thewireless terminal of claim 18, wherein the first transmission queuecorresponds to a voice traffic flow and the second transmission queuecorresponds to a non-voice traffic flow.
 20. The wireless terminal ofclaim 18, further comprising: a transmission control module forcontrolling the transmitter to transmit said first minimum delay totransmission deadline more frequently than said second minimum delay totransmission deadline.
 21. The wireless terminal of claim 15, furthercomprising: a backlog information generation module for generatinginformation indicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted. 22.The wireless terminal of claim 21, further comprising: a coding modulefor jointly coding frame counts of data to be transmitted and delayinformation.
 23. The wireless terminal of claim 14, further comprising:a data unit count aggregation module for determining a total amount ofdata waiting to be transmitted, said data corresponding to a pluralityof different data transmission streams.
 24. The wireless terminal ofclaim 14, further comprising: a constrained data unit module fordetermining an amount of data waiting to be transmitted that satisfies atransmission timing constraint.
 25. A wireless terminal, comprising: atransmission delay determination means for determining delay informationcorresponding to data to be transmitted, said delay informationincluding at least a minimum delay to a transmission deadline; and awireless transmitter means for transmitting at least some delayinformation determined by said delay determination module.
 26. Thewireless terminal of claim 25, further comprising: first transmissionqueue means for storing data to be transmitted; and memory means forstoring queue statistics including said determined delay informationwhich includes said minimum delay to a transmission deadline, saidminimum delay to a transmission deadline being a first minimum delay toa first packet transmission deadline, said first minimum delaycorresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal thathas been waiting in the first transmission queue.
 27. The wirelessterminal of claim 26, further comprising: a queue management means fordropping at least one packet from said first transmission queue if nodata is transmitted from said first transmission queue by thetransmission deadline.
 28. The wireless terminal of claim 26, furthercomprising: second transmission queue means for storing data to betransmitted; and wherein said queue statistics including said determineddelay information further include a second minimum delay to a secondpacket transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to atransmission deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by thewireless terminal that has been waiting in the second transmissionqueue.
 29. The wireless terminal of claim 26, wherein said first andsecond transmission queue means correspond to different traffic flows.30. The wireless terminal of claim 29, further comprising: atransmission control means for controlling the transmitter to transmitsaid first minimum delay more frequently than said second minimum delay;and a backlog information generation means for generating informationindicating an amount of data waiting to be transmitted.
 31. A computerreadable medium embodying machine executable instructions forcontrolling a wireless terminal to implement a method, the methodcomprising: determining delay information corresponding to data to betransmitted, said delay information including at least a minimum delayto a transmission deadline; and communicating at least some of saiddetermined delay information to a base station.
 32. The computerreadable medium of claim 31, wherein said minimum delay to atransmission deadline is a first minimum delay to a first packettransmission deadline, said first minimum delay corresponding to data tobe transmitted by the wireless terminal that has been waiting in a firsttransmission queue.
 33. The computer readable medium of claim 32,further embodying machine executable instructions for: dropping at leastone packet from said first transmission queue if no data is transmittedfrom said first transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
 34. Thecomputer readable medium of claim 32, further embodying machineexecutable instructions for: determining a second minimum delay to asecond packet transmission deadline, said second minimum delay to atransmission deadline corresponding to data to be transmitted by thewireless terminal that has been waiting in a second transmission queue,as part of said step of determining delay information; and communicatingsaid first and second minimum delays to the base station, as part ofsaid step of communicating at least some of said determined delayinformation to a base station.
 35. The computer readable medium of claim34, wherein said first and second transmission queues correspond todifferent traffic flows.
 36. A device comprising: a processor configuredto: determine delay information corresponding to data to be transmitted,said delay information including at least a minimum delay to atransmission deadline; and communicate at least some of said determineddelay information to a base station.
 37. The device of claim 36, whereinsaid minimum delay to a transmission deadline is a first minimum delayto a first packet transmission deadline, said first minimum delaycorresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal thathas been waiting in a first transmission queue.
 38. The device of claim37, wherein said processor is further configured to: drop at least onepacket from said first transmission queue if no data is transmitted fromsaid first transmission queue by the transmission deadline.
 39. Thedevice of claim 37, wherein said processor is further configured to:determine a second minimum delay to a second packet transmissiondeadline, said second minimum delay to a transmission deadlinecorresponding to data to be transmitted by the wireless terminal thathas been waiting in a second transmission queue, as part of said step ofdetermining delay information; and communicate said first and secondminimum delays to the base station, as part of said step ofcommunicating at least some of said determined delay information to abase station.
 40. The device of claim 39, wherein said first and secondtransmission queues correspond to different traffic flows.